Ubuntu Self Help Educare Resource Centre: Support Day Cares, Share Toy Libraries
Pretoria, Sudáfrica
Organization type:
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Growth
Budget:
$1,000 - $10,000
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
What once began as a toy library run from a packing crate has expanded to serving 120 day care centers in an informal settlement outside Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital. Ubuntu has continued to grow, organizing programs in two other local settlements based on the original model, but adapted to local needs. To facilitate such expansion, Ubuntu also trains volunteers and day care practitioners, partnering with The Toy and Leisure Library Association, the National Coalition of Early Childhood Development Practitioners, and the Ithuba Trust. In doing so Ubuntu hopes to contribute to high-quality, well-managed, professional care for all South African children, through engaging day care centers across the country.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Recognizing the unmet needs of South Africa's informal settlement populations, Ubuntu seeks to develop a comprehensive support system for day care centers located in lower-income areas. As such, Ubuntu's programs develop with the community, growing to meet changing needs. Ubuntu's toy library, for example, introduced an unprecedented, innovative method of creative education because it saw an underserved need. In this manner, Ubuntu supports early childhood development as a critical component of communities breaking the cycle of poverty.